Bellefonte Minors outlast Big Valley in Friday night all-star action

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: June 29, 2019

BELLEVILLE – As both teams came into the game unbeaten at 2-0, one winning streak would have to come to an end when the Big Valley Minor All-Star baseball team played host to Bellefonte.

Though the Big Valley batters hit the ball hard it would be the Bellefonte pitchers that would bend but not break in the 7-2 victory Friday night.

On the mound, the Red Raiders farm system got strong performances by Cole Houser, Zach Lehman and Breadon Fortney combined for two runs on four hits.

Lehman struck out five while Houser collected three.

Big Valley started Lucas Hartung and he had six strike outs in his three innings on the mound.

Big Valley’s offense was led by Karl Shirey as he posted a 2-for-3 evening.

Fortney and Austin Houser paced Bellefonte with two hits apiece.

Others posting hits for Big Valley were Wyatt Parks and Jude Zook.

The visitors opened the game with a 2-run first inning.

With one out, Fortney led things off with a walk. He then stole second and made to third via a wild pitch.

Triston Heckman followed with a walk.

Cole Houser brought in Fortney on an RBI single. He also moved Heckman to third.

In trying to attempt to steal, Houser got caught in a rundown but didn’t get tug out until Heeman touched home, making it 2-0 after one.

Big Valley managed a hit from Shirey. But that would be the only hit the team would get in the first.

Hartung and his defense was tough and kept the Bellefonte runners from scoring in the second and third.

Big Valley cut the lead to one when Zook got things started in the third.

He doubled to start things off and later scored on a Bellefonte miscue.

However, the Bellefonte bats came alive in the fourth.

The two runs were scored on an unorthodox way as they scored on an infield fly rule, two runners took advantage of the dropped fly and upped its lead to 4-1.

Bellefonte added some cushion to its lead in the top of the sixth, playing three runs to up the lead to 7-1.

But to Big Valley’s credit, they went down fighting as it was able to manufacture a run, ending things at 7-2 in favor of Bellefonte.

Both teams still remain alive in the tournament as Bellefonte stays in the upper bracket while Big Valley drops down to the second pair of brackets.